Man Pleads Guilty In Alexandria Girl’s August 2017 Kidnapping

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A 31-year-old man pleaded guilty late last week to charges in the August 2017 kidnapping and assault of a 15-year-old girl near Alexandria.

Joshua Holby pleaded guilty to felony kidnapping in the case. In exchange, he had a second felony kidnapping and a felony false imprisonment charge dismissed. He’ll be sentenced in January of 2019 and is expected to serve more than seven years in prison.

Holby was one of three men who were involved in the kidnapping and assault of Jasmine Block. Authorities say the three men tied up, abused and tried to kill Block after taking her from her Alexandria home in August of 2017.

Block was missing for 29 days and was at a foreclosed property on Thompson Lake in Grant County when she decided to make a run for it. The three men left the property, and she swam across the lake to get help. She eventually found a farmer, who called 911.

She was sexually assaulted multiple times, and told police at one point the men tried to drown her in a bathtub in a duffel bag — but she kept her head above water, never giving up.

Holby’s co-conspirator, Steven Powers, is charged with kidnapping, criminal sexual conduct and false imprisonment. He has a settlement conference scheduled for Nov. 1.